Kurdish
Rights and Oppression
The
Kurdish people are natives of the Middle Eastern region and their
determination to protect and develop their language and culture has been
attested throughout their history. The signing of the Interim Constitution
of Iraq on 8th of March, 2004, demonstrated that the Kurds are mature enough
to make compromises for the sake of preserving peace and stability in the
whole region. Unfortunately, within only a week, these developments were met
with tough and openly coordinated resistance by the authorities of Turkey,
Iran and Syria.
The
Turkish political and military class makes daily threats against the Kurds
and exercises pressure on the international community to continue the denial
of Kurdish cultural and political identity.
The
same objectives lead the hard-liners in Iranian establishment to interfere
into the internal affairs of Iraq and to punish the participants of peaceful
celebrations in Mahabad, Marvian, Bukan and other Kurdish cities of Iran following
the signing of Iraqi constitution.
Furthermore,
according to the news coming from Iraq since the 10th of March, 2004,
unidentified terrorists poisoned the water aiming to kill the Yezidi
countrymen, who are the adherents of the ancient Kurdish religion. It has
been reported that pamphlets were posted on the walls of Mosul and other
places saying that whoever kills Yezidis will be rewarded by God. As a
result, hundreds of the Yezidi Kurds are now being treated in hospitals.
The
latest reports starting from the 12th of March, 2004, claim hundreds of
victims of anti-Kurdish attacks carried out by the Baathist gangs and their
supporters within the state apparatus of Syria. The unrest began at a soccer
match in Kamishli and spread around the
whole Kurdish area as the funerals for the first victims took place. Even in
the capital Damascus, several hundred riot officers wearing helmets and
bearing plastic shields were stationed around Damascus University and in a
predominately Kurdish suburb.
The
Kurdish PEN Centre sees the threat of further escalation of hostilities
between the Kurds and their neighbours. The Turkish, Syrian and Iranian
authorities are well advised to realise that the Kurds are not going to
disappear and therefore they are entitled to cultural and political rights.
To avoid the deterioration of the situation, the following steps, which are
applicable world-wide and have been supported by the PEN International, need
to be undertaken:
-
Public
freedoms in Turkey, Syria and Iran need to be encouraged;
-
The
Kurdish language must gain an official status with Kurdish literature and
culture taught in the schools;
-
Legal
and peaceful political organisations must be allowed to represent the
Kurdish citizens in Turkey, Syria and Iran.
Kurdish PEN Centre, Bremen,
14 March, 2004
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